LCCC ENGLISH DAILY NEWS BULLETIN
September 23/09

Bible Reading of the day
Holy Gospel of Jesus Christ according to Saint Luke 8:19-21. Then his mother and his brothers came to him but were unable to join him because of the crowd. He was told, "Your mother and your brothers are standing outside and they wish to see you." He said to them in reply, "My mother and my brothers are those who hear the word of God and act on it."

Free Opinions, Releases, letters & Special Reports
The buffoon of the Syrian regime/Future News/September 22/09
Lebanon’s shoot-em-up mentality/By: Ana Maria Luca/Now Lebanon/September 22/09

Latest News Reports From Miscellaneous Sources for September 22/09
Roed-Larsen to Bellemare: No Contradiction between International Tribunal and Disarmament-Naharnet
Hariri Kicks Off 5-Day Parliamentary Consultations on Thursday-Naharnet
Trust in Lebanese financier shakes Hezbollah's image-Reuters
Hezbollah Feels The Heat-Strategy Page
Taliban Terrorists Let Civilians Foil NATO Bombs for Soldiers-Bloomberg
Clarification: Lebanon-Israel story-The Associated Press
German and Syrian archaeologists find Bronze Age tomb in Syria-Examiner.com
Collusion led to Escape of Roumieh Prisoners from Hospital-Naharnet
Lebanese Army Takes Stringent Measures for Fear of Terror Act against Qabbani-Naharnet
Suleiman off to New York, Meeting with Obama Possible
-Naharnet
Jumblat Bitter over Berri's Failure to Soften Allies Stances
-Naharnet
Lebanese Woman Found Stabbed to Death at NY Hotel
-Naharnet
Contacts Underway to Amend Decision to Reduce Number of Lebanese Working in Syria Banks
-Naharnet
Ashkenazi: Israel Knows What to Do in Case of War with Hizbullah
-Naharnet
Sami Gemayel: Lebanon Divided between those who Carry Arms and Citizens who Abide by Laws
-Naharnet
Suleiman Urges Election Law Based on Proportional Representation
-Naharnet
Hariri to hold “non-traditional” cabinet deliberations, al-Hayat reports/Now Lebanon

MP.
Abu Faour call says linking cabinet formation to regional factors disrespects public will/Now Lebanon
Iran nuclear chief says new generation of centrifuges built/Now Lebanon
MP. Boutrous Harb: Taëf accord needs to be implemented/Future News
Kabbani: Assassination report is merely rumor/Future News
MP. Sami Gemayel: we commit to laws not bearing of weapons/Future News

Muslim Man Beheads Christian in Egypt
GMT 9-21-2009
Assyrian International News Agency
Egypt (AINA) -- Osama Araban, a Muslim man riding a Harley-Davidson motorcycle, went on a rampage last week in Egypt, killing 63-year old Coptic Christian Abdo George Younan, in the village of Bagour, before traveling onwards and stabbing with intention to kill two other Copts in two different villages, at least 10 km apart (AINA 9-18-2009).
In the village of Behnay he repeatedly stabbed Coptic shoemaker Adib Boulos before being stopped by eyewitness Behman Saeed, after whom Osama Araban ran, leaving the victim behind. Adib suffered a broken scull and lung hemorrhage, and is still fighting for his life in intensive care unit at Shebin el-Kom Hospital.
Osama Araban then traveled to the village of Mit Afif and stabbed his third victim, Sobhy Barsum, a blacksmith. He also stabbed his brother Hani Barsum in the neck -- only to be saved by a co-worker. Hani was also hospitalized.
Osama Araban was arrested the following day.
The funeral procession of Abdo Younan was attended by thousands of Copts, led by Metropolitan Archbishop Benjamin of Menoufia Diocese and seventeen clergymen. Hundreds of banners were held, showing the amount of anger and injustice felt by Copts. Anti State Security chants were heard during the procession, besides calling on President Mubarak and the government to save the Copts from the hands of the fundamentalist who are killing them.
This incident which took place on September 16, 2009, has left Copts in Egypt shocked and angered, not only because attacks against Copts have been escalating, but because of the way the murder was committed.
The details of the attacks, not told by the media, but exposed by Coptic lawyers and activists, reveal that 35-year old car painter Osama Araban not only stabbed Abdo nine times but also by severed his head from his body -- an Islamic ritual beheading. He then meticulously washed his bayonet with the water hose the victim was using, before setting off on his motorcycle to the next two villages, looking for more Coptic victims.
Egyptian State Security, which is in charge of drafting press releases and news related to Muslim attacks on Christians, decided from the start which route they wanted the incident to take, and tailor the news accordingly.
In an attempt to influence public opinion for the forthcoming acquittal of the Muslim killer, the media reported that the reason for the killing was a "material dispute."
Renowned attorney and activist Dr.Naguib Ghoraeel, head of Egyptian Union Human Rights Organization, issued a press release on September 17, calling the crime a massacre, and confirming that what happened was revenge against Christians. He accused the Interior Ministry of lying I suggesting the incident "is a mere quarrel," and warned them that no one will believe that the murderer is "mentally unstable," should they use this defense.
Ghoraeel accused the police of seriously tampering with evidence, by insisting on the body being removed by ambulance. "Investigators came to a scene without a body, and then went to inspect the body in another place," he said.
Many lawyers believe that this step was taken in order to reduce the judicial verdict down to manslaughter.
According to Copts United Advocacy, Reverend Estephanos Azer, the priest at St. Serapium Church in neighboring Shebin el Kom, condemned the authorities and media fabrications when dealing with cases of Muslims killing Christians. He denied any financial dealings between the victim and his killer.
"I hope that the authorities would respect our intelligence. The media treats us as a herd of sheep. We refuse that completely. We have logic and can think." He went on to voice what all Copts are saying that with every attack on Copts, the incident has to have one of two scenarios: either the killer is "mentally deranged," or the incident is due to a "material dispute."
Taken the criticism the State Security received regarding their usual scenarios, they have now decided to take a completely different route, never used before. The pro-government newspaper "Youm 7" reported that Obdo Younan "Insulted Islam" and the killer therefore decided to take revenge by killing him. This news was picked up by other news agencies.
Following this murder, Coptic shopkeepers in Bagour, Manufiya province, north-west of Cairo, are terrified to open their shops. "I am a watchmaker, How can I work when I feel that if I look down, someone might jump on me and behead me," a shopkeeper told Free Copts.
George Abdo, son of the slain victim, believes that a radical Islamic organization is behind the incident. "For whose benefit is all this government misleading information?" he said, "we want justice nothing more." George said that by appeasing the radicals at the expense of the Copts, the government is giving them a green light to do as they please with the Copts. "Pressure on Copts will lead to explosion sooner or later. We are unable to live this way; we have nothing to loose," he warned.
In an interview with Free Copts, lawyer activist Ashraf Ghobrial, one of the organizers of the Coptic National Strike on September 11, called on President Mubarak to personally intervene to ensure the safety of Coptic citizens. He said "I am saying there must be someone behind the killer. We ask the State Security to look for the terrorist cell behind him. If they don't, this incident will happen again and again, in different parts of the country. We want the State Security to protect us, all what they do is spy on us."
No Muslim has ever been sentenced justly for killing a Copt. Consequently, the Egyptian Government's manipulation of facts is not to save the Copt's murderer from a just punishment, but more to save its face in front of the Western world for being blatantly unjust towards the Coptic victim, given that Egypt is a member of the UN Human Rights Council which is responsible for the protection of human rights around the globe.
By Mary Abdelmassih
This item is available as: html
Copyright (C) 2009, Assyrian International News Agency. All Rights Reserved. Terms of Use.

Suleiman off to New York, Meeting with Obama Possible
Naharnet/President Michel Suleiman left for New York Tuesday to attend the U.N. General Assembly meeting. Suleiman will address the General Assembly at 11am on Friday (6pm local time). He is expected to announce Lebanon's fundamental positions on the Middle East peace process, uphold the Palestinian right of return, in addition to other topics like renewing a call to promote Lebanon as the international center for interfaith and cultural dialogue. Suleiman is expected to return home right after delivering his speech. Beirut, 22 Sep 09, 12:11

Roed-Larsen to Bellemare: No Contradiction between Tribunal and Disarmament

Naharnet/Special Tribunal for Lebanon Prosecutor Daniel Bellemare met in recent weeks with Special U.N. envoy Terje Roed-Larsen in The Hague, sources close to Bellemare said in remarks published by the daily al-Akhbar on Tuesday. The sources said talks tackled the intersection of information relating to the implementation of Security Council Resolution 1701 and Resolution 1559.Al-Akhbar quoted Bellemare sources as stressing that the U.N. prosecutor has maintained strict confidentiality in criminal investigations in the murder of ex-Premier Rafik Hariri and related crimes. An STL official did not rule out that Roed-Larsen would put forward questions for Bellemare concerning his meeting at the Justice Palace in Beirut with a Hizbullah official prior to his departure from Lebanon. Al-Akhbar said Lebanese officers who had maintained contact with the U.N. investigation committee stressed that the probe has reached a possible link between the communications network which had been uncovered by Lebanese intelligence during the early stages of the investigation and a person said to be linked to Hizbullah. It went on to say, citing one investigator, that the alleged Hizbullah person traveled to Syria and from there to Iraq before he went missing. It said Lebanese security services have gathered data on the suspect, but "quitted the dossier following the assassination of one of the officers in an explosive device," according to a senior security official. Beirut, 22 Sep 09,

Sami Gemayel: we commit to laws not bearing of weapons
Date: September 21st, 2009/Source: Free Lebanon
Lawmaker Sami Gemayel pointed Monday that the Lebanese people are divided into two categories: the first believes it has the right to bear weapons, declare peace and war and negotiate with states and a category that commits to laws and asks for protection from the state. “We are the second category,” asserted MP Gemayel and pointed that the concept of consensual democracy was created to render results of parliamentary elections ineffective. “Those who win the majority must negotiate with the minority over demands regarding government formation,” Gemayel stressed. He indicated that Lebanon is witnessing a state of confusion in political concepts and assured that “no political force has the right to benefit from freedom and democracy to impose a certain ruling system the Lebanese people obey under intimidation and threats.”

Hariri to hold “non-traditional” cabinet deliberations, al-Hayat reports

September 22, 2009 /Now Lebanon/Al-Hayat newspaper reported on Tuesday that Prime Minister-designate Saad Hariri will hold “non-traditional” cabinet deliberations with parliamentary blocs and independent MPs starting from Thursday and lasting until Tuesday. According to the Al-Hayat, deliberations will not have time limits and instead will be lengthy enough to allow thorough negotiations, in which parliamentary blocs can express their views. Hariri will not just address general themes in the deliberations, but also tackle details, the newspaper reported. The source added that Hariri hopes to avoid the obstacles and conditions that beset his first tenure as PM-designate. An unidentified MP told the daily that Hariri wants to dedicate an hour of every meeting for parliamentary blocs and half an hour for independent MPs in order to determine their demands on representation in the cabinet.

Abu Faour call says linking cabinet formation to regional factors disrespects public will

September 22, 2009 /Now Lebanon/Minister of State Wael Abu Faour said during a dinner hosted by the Progressive Scouts on Monday that linking regional factors to cabinet formation disrespects public will, adding that the Lebanese voted for their MPs to preserve their interests, not that of any outside power. Abu Faour also said that all political parties, especially those obstructing cabinet formation, must demonstrate that they are eager to protect Lebanon and its future.

Iran nuclear chief says new generation of centrifuges built

September 22, 2009 /Now Lebanon/AFP/The chief of Iran's Atomic Energy Organization Ali Akbar Salehi said on Tuesday that the scientists of the Islamic republic have managed to build new generation of high capacity centrifuges. "Our scientists have built new generation of centrifuges and cascades with 10 centrifuges each are now being tested," Salehi was quoted as saying by the official IRNA news agency. He said the new generation of centrifuges can enrich uranium with "more than five times the output capacity" of the earlier standard centrifuges and that Iran "plans to raise this capacity to 10 times." In April, Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad had announced that Iran was testing two kinds of new generation centrifuges.
According to the International Atomic Energy Agency's June report Iran has installed more than 7,000 uranium-enriching centrifuges at its enrichment plant in Natanz.
Iran and the world powers are at loggerheads over Tehran's decision to continue enriching uranium, the process which can generate the raw material to make an atomic bomb.
Tehran and six world powers are set to hold talks on October 1 over Iran's latest package of proposals aimed at allaying global concerns over its nuclear program.

Lebanon’s shoot-em-up mentality

Ana Maria Luca,
Now Lebanon , September 22, 2009
The man in the red T-shirt carried a bag with two cans of beer in it. He went up the stairs to his cozy office in Chiyyah. He wanted to celebrate the deal. He had just sold three Kalashnikov machine guns for $700 each. His storage room was now empty. “In Lebanon, if you buy 1 million guns, you sell 1 million guns. There is no security, and people want to be able to defend themselves,” he told NOW. “All parties, Christian or Muslim, have weapons now. They are all buying again,” he said. The gun dealer, a militia member during the civil war, said he was satisfied with his trade. The government void,sparring political parties, sectarian rivalry and shootouts in mixed neighborhoods such as Aisha Bakkar and Tariq al-Jdeideh are all factors that contribute to the success of his business. He buys smuggled weapons from Palestinian camps and resells them, around 15 pieces a month in insecure times like these. Kalashnikovs, M 16s, 7 MMs, RPGs; “everything and anything sells,” he said. He has been doing especially well since the 2005 assassination of former Prime Minister Rafik Hariri, he said. “The prices went skyrocketing after Hariri died.” For instance, he said, a Kalashnikov was $50 before February 2005. Now the price is up to $700. An M16 went from $100 to $1,200, a Smith and Wesson from $40 to $500, a type fourteen pistol from $500 to $1,500, and a 7mm from $200 to $700. “The small guns you use in civil war, in internal fighting,” he noted.
The Lebanese gun mentality
There are few households without a gun in Lebanon. Around 2 million guns are on the loose in the country judging by the population and the reach of the black market, according to Fadi Abi Allam, president of the Permanent Peace Movement, an NGO advocating against the proliferation of illegal small arms in Lebanon. “It’s just estimation; it’s difficult to count them,” he told NOW. "The problem is mainly in the villages," he said. “Ninety percent of the people there are armed. In the cities it is closer to 50%. Therefore, there is a high possibility that we use guns in our simple daily conflicts.”But separating people from their guns is not as simple as removing the firearms from the market. Guns are part of the Lebanese mentality, Abi Allam said. “Guns are commodities to satisfy our security needs. When there is a lack of trust in the government’s ability to provide security, we have to take care of our own protection. And if you have weapons available everywhere, you get addicted to them.” Some Lebanese do go legal. They buy rifles from the numerous shops specializing in hunting weapons, the only ones civilians can legally possess in Lebanon. Marwan, 30, is one of them. He says he needs his rifle because he goes hunting every week, but he also feels safer having it around in case of emergency to protect his house and his family. “I wouldn’t kill anybody, but I would shoot his leg or threaten the attacker,” he said. He wouldn’t call the police either. “They take hours to reach the incident anyway, and then they never catch anybody,” he said.
But many Lebanese rely on the black market for their weapons purchases. Bassam, 24, got his new M16 as a present from his father. It is his new toy, he said; he even lets his eight-year old cousin play with it and has taught him how to hold it. “I’m so excited about it. I want to use it to defend Lebanon against our enemies. And to defend my house, of course.”
Bassam says he’s heard “all of the useless talk” about not letting children play with guns. “But we are in the middle of a war here!”
The loopholes in the law
The root cause of the illegal gun trade in Lebanon is that there is no single authority to snuff out the many channels through which illegal weapons have been entering the country since the civil war, according to Abi Allam. Also, “There are many loopholes in Lebanese law. For example, you can legalize somebody’s gun once he has it, but you can’t legalize a dealer. There is no license to import guns. Plus, if you go to turn in an inherited gun from your father, you’re risking being put in jail.”
Corruption is another factor. “The way you issue a license is again blurry. People have papers for Kalashnikovs, although the law does not allow it.”
Legalizing gun ownership is the only way to find out how big the problem is in Lebanon, Abi Allam said. “Why not give amnesty to people who want to give their guns away? Give them information on where to go and what to do. And we also need to know what happens to the confiscated weapons. The process needs to be more transparent.”
Peace is “no profit”
But it seems nobody is willing to give up a gun in times like these, when there is no formal government and tension on the streets can boil over into fighting with one shot.
This means good business for the arms dealer, whose profits tumble in peaceful times. But peace is never going to happen, he said. “When you have Israel close by, you’ll never have peace. And if there is a conflict between Sunnis and Shia in Iraq, there will be one in Lebanon too.”
But being a gun dealer is not an easy occupation. “There is friction between the people in the business. Rivals turn each other in to the police; some get arrested and the guns get confiscated. They go to jail for three years.” But he says he’s not afraid. “Where would they take me? I have my boys inside. Even if they put me in Roumieh Prison, I can still get everything I want inside. I can still sell guns from prison and have my phone and my whiskey. What is there to be afraid of?”

The buffoon of the Syrian regime

Date: September 22nd, 2009
Future News/The predictions of the Syrian regime’s buffoon that no government would be formed in Lebanon before 2010, is an alarming bell. This buffoon is more candid than all the political realities, and the most rational of all the rules of political logic, analysis and Sciences.
To prove that the prophesies of the “Syrian buffoon” have always been accurate, we shall remind of what he had heralded in the past starting from the May 7 bloody events to the incidences on 23 and 25 January or what was dubbed "peaceful sit-ins," which left dozens of Lebanese dead or seriously wounded.
It should be noted that the Syrian buffoon’s prophesy indicates two realities: it is either he enjoys a supernatural divine blessing or he is precisely aware of the back scene talks that take place in the black rooms of Damascus countryside. However the latter remains a plausible analysis that the brain of a sane human being would be able to digest.
The predictions of the Syrian buffoon on the date of the formation of the forthcoming Lebanese government is tantamount to the “calm before the storm,” and also reflect that the intentions of the Syrian regime towards Lebanon have been the same whether in terms of the International Tribunal (STL), or its ongoing attempts to re-extend its authority over the Lebanese territories and people or in a more sophisticated word, its hegemony and tutelage over the country.
The Syrian buffoon and the “Hand puppet” behind it as well as all its eloquent are totally unaware that the country can no longer tolerate this dramatic situation. Those are turning a blind eye that the storyteller’s predictions are imbedded messages of intimidation and threats, and are a fertile ground for security tribulations that no Lebanese official would accept especially Prime Minister designate Saad Hariri, who stressed on the importance of maintaining calm and dialogue within the constitutional and legal principles. In turn, Hizbullah’s Secretary General Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah also warned of the consequences of the tension and recklessness. In this case, the more imperative question is: Who is more plausible, the buffoon of the Syrian regime, or the political facts on the Lebanese arena and the adamant calls of its officials? In the meantime and until we get the answer, the Lebanese must be completely aware that any ruthless adventure would be priceless.

Hariri Kicks Off 5-Day Parliamentary Consultations on Thursday
Naharnet/Prime Minister-designate Saad Hariri will put parliamentary consultations back on track, but this time the majority leader intends to engage in a meaningful, lengthy dialogue rather than negotiation or debate. Parliament's Secretariat General issued a statement Tuesday confirming that Hariri will launch five-day parliamentary consultations on Thursday.
Pan-Arab daily al-Hayat said earlier Tuesday that Hariri, who is scheduled to return from Saudi Arabia on Thursday, was preparing to launch ever-wider round of parliamentary consultations which are unparalleled in the history of government formations in Lebanon, given that they grant blocs longer time than the traditional period for hearing the demands.
Hariri has extended binding parliamentary consultations, which are expected to kick off on Thursday for six more days until next Tuesday, excluding Sunday.
Parliamentary sources told al-Hayat that Hariri tends to allocate one hour for each parliamentary bloc and 30 minutes for independent lawmakers, as the premier-designate believes that the time factor contributes to the exploration of attitudes for what they are. They said Hariri is determined to engage in "open and honest dialogue" that would tackle various issues, including the sensitive ones to be able to lay a new foundation for negotiations based on the parliamentary blocs' clarity in their demands. Talks this time will tackle issues in depth, unlike the previous round of consultations where MPs had to answer two questions regarding ministerial portfolios and names, the sources added. Meanwhile, MP Boutros Harb said in a television interview late Monday that consultations will rather be "dialogue sessions, meaning that the traditional time given for each bloc exceeds the normal time allowed for each bloc."
"This will lead for longer delays in Cabinet formation," Harb explained. Beirut, 22 Sep 09, 08:19

Collusion led to Escape of Roumieh Prisoners from Hospital

Naharnet/Press reports on Tuesday said "collusion" led to the escape of two inmates from Naufal hospital in Beirut where they were being treated. Prisoners Hisham Ali Wehbe and Ali Hussein al-Sahili, who are facing several judicial rulings issued against them, escaped from the hospital at 4:00 am Monday. Press reports said the inmates, who were being treated on the hospital's fourth floor, scaled down the building using blankets tied together. They said saw blades were used for cutting bars off their hospital room window. A number of corrupt prison officers have apparently facilitated the escape of Wehbe and Sahili. The daily an-Nahar said Tuesday that preliminary reports showed that there was a conspiracy behind their escap.
It said Police have arrested four officers in charge of guarding the prisoners. Police, however, freed the doctor on duty pending investigation. Beirut, 22 Sep 09, 13:16

Lebanese Army Takes Stringent Measures for Fear of Terror Act against Qabbani
Naharnet/Grand Sunni Mufti Sheikh Mohammed Rashid Qabbani played down a report of an assassination attempt against his life. Qabbi stressed that the report "comes within the framework of efforts to disrupt the political and constitutional functions in Lebanon." The report, published by the Kuwaiti al-Anbaa newspaper, said Lebanese intelligence disrupted an assassination attempt on Qabbani that was to take place on the first day of Eid el-Fitr on Sunday. It said that according to information obtained by the Lebanese intelligence, the assassination was intended to be done by means of a suicide operation inside Mohammed al-Amin Mosque during the Eid prayers. In remarks published by the daily an-Nahar on Tuesday, Qabbani said al-Anbaa report also aimed at "spreading fear among citizens as well as destabilizing security and stability in Lebanon."Meanwhile, a security source told an-Nahar that security forces took "precautionary measures" around mosques and religious centers during Eid el-Fitr "to prepare for any emergency situation." He said the Lebanese army command took Dar al-Fatwa's permission for tightening security measures around a number of spiritual and political leaders taking part in Eid prayers, in addition to clearing the streets leading to the mosque of vehicles. Among the security measures was searching worshipers entering the mosque for fear of an infiltration attempt by one or more terrorists who could be wearing an explosive belt.
As-Safir newspaper, for its part, quoted a well-informed Lebanese military source as saying that the army command has received information about a possible terrorist attack against by a fundamentalist group against participants in the Eid prayers at Mohammed al-Amin mosque in downtown Beirut. Beirut, 22 Sep 09, 09:53

Jumblat Bitter over Berri's Failure to Soften Allies Stances
Naharnet/Druze leader Walid Jumblat is annoyed at the stubbornness of certain political leaders, particularly Speaker Nabih Berri who failed to convince his allies in the Hizbullah-led March 8 coalition of the need to soften their stances vis-à-vis formation of a new government. Pan-Arab daily al-Hayat, citing parliamentary sources quoting March 8 officials, said Hizbullah could have tried to persuade its ally, Free Patriotic Movement leader Michel to change his stance and be more humble in his demands, rather than insisting on impossible-to-meet demands.
The sources said Jumblat has launched an attempt to reshuffle the political cards, thinking that political circumstances were ripe for the establishment of a centrist political bloc that does not distinguish between the Opposition and the majority March 14 forces.  They said Jumblat distant himself from his Christian allies in the March 14 coalition without prior warning and nearly entered into a political clash with his strategic ally Saad Hariri before realizing the situation he was in and correcting the misunderstanding that surfaced during his "explosive" Aug. 2 speech before the general assembly of his Progressive Socialist Party. The sources said Berri took positive signals launched by Jumblat, but failed to succeed in persuading his ally, Hizbullah, from taking a similar position. The sources added that Berri's insistence on silence does not allow him to fully adopt Aoun's demands, especially since this adoption came before entering a dispute with Hariri that was followed by a declaration that he was stepping down as prime minister-designate. Beirut, 22 Sep 09, 08:50

Lebanese Woman Found Stabbed to Death at NY Hotel

Naharnet/The nude body of Lebanese-born Andree Bejjani has been found on the 10th floor of a posh hotel next to Central Park in New York strangled with a knife sticking from her neck, police said. Longtime hotel housekeeping manager Derrick Praileu, 29, has been arrested in connection to the death. Charges are pending against Praileu, who was arrested hours after the body of 44-year-old Bejjani was found Saturday afternoon at the luxury Manhattan hotel. Police say a maid found Bejjani face down on the kitchen floor in a condo at the hotel. She was naked, with her throat slashed and a knife sticking out of it. The 44-story hotel is on the Central Park's southern edge. The art deco landmark opened in 1931 and has 509 luxury rooms and suites as large as 2,500 square feet. Bejjani had moved to New York from Dubai, and had been staying in a residential condominium at the Jumeirah Essex House since August.(AP-Naharnet) Beirut, 22 Sep 09, 10:45

Contacts Underway to Amend Decision to Reduce Number of Lebanese Working in Syria Banks

Naharnet/Contacts are underway between Lebanese bank officials and Syrian authorities to amend a decision to decrease the number of Lebanese or non-Syrian staff at Lebanese bank branches in the neighboring country, Ad-Diyar daily reported Tuesday. The newspaper said the decision to reduce the staff from 10% to 3% will be implemented starting end of this year.
The move came amid reports that Syrian authorities announced that Arab and western banks operating in Syria should increase their capitals from around 30 million dollars to 150 million dollars. According to the decision, new banks will have to up their capitals to 300 million dollars. Ad-Diyar said several Lebanese banks that have branches in Syria are facing difficulties in the implementation of the decision. The daily added that contacts are underway between Lebanese bank officials and Syrian authorities to look into the possibility of amending the decision. Beirut, 22 Sep 09, 13:26

Ashkenazi: Israel Knows What to Do in Case of War with Hizbullah

Naharnet/Israeli army chief of staff Lt.-Gen. Gabi Ashkenazi said Monday that the military underwent significant improvements since the 2006 war with Hizbullah and "has the answer" to any future conflict. "Since the Second Lebanon War, we have done an all encompassing review of the possibility we may need to fight again in the North. We understand what we need to do next time and the IDF has the answer," Ashkenazi told Army Radio in a question and answer session. "It is a strong and high quality military, and I trust it," he stressed.
Ashkenazi added, however, that it was not in Hizbullah's interest to start a new conflict. "We are monitoring closely what is happening inside of Lebanon. Hizbullah continues to become stronger," he said. Turning to Iran, the general said the best way to deal with Tehran's nuclear threat is sanctions. "If (sanctions don't work), Israel has the right to defend itself, and all means can be used to achieve this," Ashkenazi added. About a U.N. report on Israel's winter offensive against Hamas in the Gaza Strip, the general said the document was "biased and unbalanced." Referring to Richard Goldstone, the South African prosecutor who wrote the report, the Israeli military chief told Army Radio: "He ignored Hamas (rocket) fire. As the one who planned the operation, I say that we have a moral army; we did everything we could to lessen the harm to noncombatants."
Beirut, 21 Sep 09, 16:59


Lebanon: Back to Square One?

Washington DC - September 22, 2009 (David Schenker - Washington Institute) --
On September 10, after seventy-three days of trying to formulate a government, Lebanon's prime minister designate, Saad Hariri, resigned his mandate. Although Hariri's pro-West March 14 coalition secured a parliamentary majority in June elections -- and with it the right to govern -- the Hizballah-led minority rejected the cabinet he submitted to President Michel Suleiman. Now that March 14 has reelected Hariri as its candidate for premier, the stage is set for yet another showdown with Hizballah and its allies. As the process drags on, both Hizballah and March 14 are hardening their positions. Meanwhile, Syria, via the regime-controlled press, is hinting at a return to violence in Beirut. Today, on the nineteenth anniversary of the Taif Accords, which ended the civil war, Lebanon again stands on the precipice.
Background
After the March 14 coalition secured a majority -- 71 of 120 parliamentary seats -- in the June 7 elections, President Suleiman offered Saad Hariri the mandate to form a government. Throughout the summer, Hariri met continuously with his coalition allies and opposition leaders from Hizballah, Amal, and Michel Aoun's Free Patriotic Movement (FPM), to work out an acceptable formula for a national unity cabinet.
Negotiations were extremely complicated. Not only did Hariri want to placate his March 14 partners, he was committed to ensuring that Hizballah's March 8 alliance did not realize its demand for a "blocking third" -- one third plus one of the cabinet seats -- which would provide the opposition with the ability to stymie major initiatives and bring down the government at will. Hariri's efforts were further complicated by leading coalition partner, Druze leader Walid Jumblatt, who -- in an apparent shift -- opined during an August 3 speech that his political alliance with March 14 "cannot continue."
In attempting to form his cabinet, Hariri adopted a formula -- fifteen seats for the majority, ten for the opposition, and five for the president -- which, on the face of it, would denude the opposition of the blocking third. At the same time, Hariri indicated that he would not allow those who did not win parliament seats in the general elections to become ministers, a decision intended to preclude former telecommunications minister Jebran Bassil -- the son-in-law and political heir apparent to Michel Aoun -- from joining the cabinet. Likewise, Hariri designated all the opposition ministers himself, instead of allocating the portfolios to opposition parties and allowing them to choose. Hariri presented his cabinet to President Suleiman on September 7.
Swift Reaction
The opposition declared Hariri's proposed government dead on arrival, claiming, dubiously, that Hariri's designation of opposition ministers was unconstitutional. Seemingly more offensive to the March 8 coalition, however, was Hariri's position that only members of parliament could serve as cabinet ministers. Aoun -- who had demanded the reinstatement of Bassil as telecommunications minister -- was particularly incensed that his son-in-law was shut out, a sentiment echoed by Hizballah deputy secretary general Naim Qassem when he said on September 10 that ministries were not "prizes given out in accordance with the parliamentary elections results." Clearly the issue is personal for Aoun. When the Maronite Patriarch Nasrallah Boutros Sfeir suggested that the appointment of losing candidates as ministers would "go against the popular opinion," Aoun accused the cardinal of having joined March 14's leading Christian party, the Lebanese Forces.
Syria, too, was quick to respond to Hariri's resignation. On September 10, the regime daily al-Watan reported that Lebanon "had entered a period of instability" in which the "political vacuum" would be filled by "security tensions." The paper, which is owned by Syrian president Bashar al-Asad's cousin, added that it was unlikely a new government would be formed until December.
Even before Hariri resigned, the Obama administration was sharply critical of Syrian efforts to undermine government formation in Beirut. In an August interview with al-Nahar, a "high-ranking U.S. official" -- believed by many to have been Assistant Secretary for Near Eastern Affairs Jeffrey Feltman -- told the Lebanese daily that "The Syrians are mistaken if they think that their relations with us will not be affected as a result of what they are doing in Lebanon.... President Obama wants to improve relations with Syria, but it would be impossible if Syria and its friends in Lebanon continue to cripple the democratic institutions."
In this context, it came as little surprise that on September 11 -- the day after Hariri quit -- two Katyusha rockets were fired on Israel from Lebanon, allegedly by a heretofore unknown al-Qaeda affiliate. More likely, some speculate, the attack was perpetrated by the Syrian-backed Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine--General Command.
Moving Forward?
That Hariri will have an easier time forming a government his second time around is doubtful. As Naim Qassem told an audience convened for Iftar (at the ironically named Fantasy World restaurant) on September 12, "the reasons that complicated this [government] formulation are the same ones that the new prime minister designate will face." Knowing that he would be given another chance, it now seems apparent that Hariri's resignation represented calculated political theater, a tactic designed to pressure the opposition to make concessions. Now, although Walid Jumblatt is openly opposing the idea, Hariri is upping the ante, suggesting that he might not establish the cabinet based on the previously agreed 15-10-5 seat allocation.
Still, Hizballah and its allies do not appear to be fazed. March 8 has not yet veered from its demand for a "national unity government" that would provide the opposition with decisive influence in the decisionmaking process. The opposition remains confident it can achieve this influence -- the blocking third -- through the 15-10-5 formula: all that is required is to co-opt one of the president's five cabinet members, at least one of whom will be Shiite. Given the dynamic, March 8 is currently focused on trying to lock Hariri into this formula. Anything short, said Hizballah minister of labor Muhammad Fnaish in an ominous note, "means the state enters into a dark tunnel."
Hariri and his coalition have held tough so far, refusing to provide concessions to the minority that essentially would reverse the results of the June elections. Precedent suggests that the deadlock could last some time; in 1969, it took nine months for prime minister designate Rashid Karami to form a government. But Hariri also knows that sooner or later, Hizballah and/or Syria will likely resort to violence to force concessions from the pro-West coalition. And while Jumblatt clarified his August comments distancing himself from March 14, he remains an unreliable ally and leaves the coalition weakened.
Conclusion
Prime minister designate Saad Hariri has indicated that he will resume coalition negotiations after Eid al-Fitr on September 20. Although the talks will take time, it should become clear in relatively short order whether the direction of these talks suggests a different outcome than the first round. Ultimately, if March 14 wants to avoid another Hizballah invasion of Beirut, it may be forced to accept the 15-10-5 formula. Yet March 14 need not accept all the opposition demands.
Indeed, the opposition is also playing with a somewhat weakened hand. Although Hizballah won all the parliamentary seats for which it contended, its FPM allies performed poorly. Likewise, developments in Tehran and the recent bankruptcy of Hizballah's chief Lebanese financier have proved deeply embarrassing for the militia. At a minimum, Hariri has an opportunity to weaken his FPM rivals by excluding Bassil and relegating Aoun's ministers to peripheral portfolios.
While Lebanese government formulation should be an internal matter, Syria, Iran, Saudi Arabia, and Egypt are all playing a part, by advising their local allies. Riyadh and Cairo continue to play a productive role in providing political support to March 14, but this will probably not be sufficient. If Washington wants to strengthen its Lebanese allies' position in these negotiations, the Obama administration will have to bring some pressure to bear on Damascus. As a first step, the administration should follow through on its August warning, perhaps by informing the Asad regime of the decision to postpone indefinitely the posting of a new ambassador to Syria.
Washington has a vested interest in seeing Hariri succeed in establishing a government not beholden to Hizballah and the FPM. No doubt, it is an ambitious goal. But given the June 7 election results, the Obama administration, like Hariri and March 14, should be aiming higher than a return to the status quo in Beirut.
 

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